Geneva: The record levels of new daily COVID-19 cases are due to the fact that the pandemic is peaking in a number of big countries at the same time and reflect a change in the virus’ global activity, the World Health Organisation said.
At a media briefing on Monday, WHO’s emergencies chief Dr. Michael Ryan said that the numbers are increasing because the epidemic is developing in a number of populous countries at the same time.
Some countries have attributed their increased caseload to more testing, including India and the US But Ryan dismissed that explanation.
We do not believe this is a testing phenomenon, he said, noting that numerous countries have also noted marked increases in hospital admissions and deaths neither of which cannot be explained by increased testing.
There definitely is a shift in that the virus is now very well established, Ryan said. The epidemic is now peaking or moving towards a peak in a number of large countries.
He added the situation was definitely accelerating in a number of countries, including the US and others in South Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said it took more than three months for the world to see 1 million confirmed infections, but just eight days to see the most recent 1 million cases.
The greatest threat we face now is not the virus itself; it’s the lack of global solidarity and global leadership,” he said during a video conference for the Dubai-based World Government Summit. Even some countries that have had initial success in stamping out the virus are finding pockets of resurgence.
Worldwide, more than 9 million people have been confirmed infected by the virus and more than 472,000 have died, according to the Johns Hopkins University tally. (AP)